Mechanical movement for washing-machines.



W. H. VOSS.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1913' 1,07 9,456. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

W. H. VOSS. MECHANICAL MOVEMENT FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.18,1918.

1,079,456. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

hQ zzhaprw M97215?" mamzmw WILLIAM IL VOSS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

MECHANICAL MOVEIVIENT FOB, WASHING-MACHINES.

Application filed January 13, 1913.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Voss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Movements for ashing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to mechanism for actuating washing machines, and particularly that'cla-ss or type of machines having a rotary reciprocable agitator or dolly, a momentum or balance-wheel that assists in the @reversal movement of the said agitator, and mechanism adapted to be actuated either manually or through the medium of a suitable motor v(electric, gas-engine or other power) for operating the same.

In operating washing-machines of this particular type, it often becomes necessary to stop it instantaneously, or to operate the agitator independently of the wringer, and vice-versa.

It is, therefore, .an object of my invention to accomplishthese functions in an ellicient manner, and at the same time to provide novel mechanism for connecting the operating parts.

Still another object of my invention is to so construct and arrange the various elements of the driving and reversing mechanism that they may .all be disposed or mounted below the bottom of the tub or support so that the number of parts to be carried by the top or cover thereof is reduced to a minimum, and said mechanism will be out of the way of the operator.

These and other objects I accomplish by the means and in the manner hereinafter fullydescribed and as particularly pointed out:in theclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Figure 1 .is a vertical side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1, below the plane of the bottom of the tub. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of Fig. 3, drawn to an enlarged scale and having the gear casing removed. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the reversing gears. Fig. 6 is adetail view showing the shifting lever and connected elements. Fig. 7 is a detail Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Serial No. 742,785.

view of a clutch used inconnection with my invention. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the locking sleeve for the reversing-gear .lever.

The support for my improved mechanism comprises ,a suitable tub A having the usual hinged cover 13 in .which anagitatorshaft C is journaled, and which .rests upon and is elevated above the floor a suitable distance by means of legs D that may be provided with rollers .in their lower ends, if desired, which legs are connected together and braced by a rectangular-shaped metallic frame cl. Tl e agitator-shaft C is given a rotary reciprocable movement .by suitable means E for connecting and transmitting the reciprocable movement of a horizontally disposed rack F to the usual rotary reciprocable motion of said agitator. It is in material in .what manner the means E are constructed, or of .what mechanism the same consist, in so far as the objects of my improvements are concerned. I prefer, however, to employ for this purpose a horizontally disposed gear or pinion mounted .on and revolving withthe agitator-shafnbut so constructed as to permit the .free vertical movement of the lattertherein. This mechanism is supported on the ;lid or cover of the tub, and is, preferably, inclosed within a suitable spherical casing, substantially as shown. This mechanism is a well known mechanical movement and, therefore, .need not beillustrated herein. Inorder to.actu ate said pinion, a rack F is employed that extends horizontally across the .cover to .a point beyond the vertical side of the tub and has its outer end removably pivoted to socket made integral with the upper end of vertically disposed lever G, of the first class. Said lever is fulcrumed between the lugs projecting outward from a vertically disposed bracket 9 secured to the sideofthe tub, and when it is desired to operate my improvements by hand a handle is inserted in said socket and the lever moved back and forth. he lower end of said lever has a pitman 1 pivotally connected thereto, ,and this pitman extends to and under the tub, and its opposite end is pivotally connected to a suitable crank 2 that projects from the outer end of a sleeve which latter is loosely mounted on the end of a-horizontally dis posed driveshaft 3, that is journaledat one end in the sleeve X of thecrank engaging bearings 4, and, at the other end in bearings 5 supported upon the frame d, hereinbefore mentioned.

Shaft 3 is not directly actuated by crank 2 when the machine is hand driven, but is actuated through the medium of gearing which enables me to utilize the momentum of a speeded up balance-wheel loosely mounted on said shaft. When the machine is actuated by a suitable motor 8, it is done through the medium of a belt 7 directly engaging the balance-wheel, and, in this emergency the gearing referred to imparts a reduced speed to shaft 3.

Sleeve X of crank 2 extends through bearings 1 and its end portion 19 opposite said crank is increased in diameter and provided with a circumferential groove 20, that is engaged by pins 21 projecting inward from the annular portion of lever 22. The lower end of lever 22 is fulcrumed to a bracket 23 secured to and depending down from the adjacent central reach of frame (Z, and said lever is operated so as to move sleeve X longitudinally by means of a bar 2 1 pivoted to the upper end of the lever and extending horizontally in the same direction as shaft 3. The end of bar 2 1 opposite lever 22 has two notches 26 in its lower edge, and these notches are adapted to engage an arm 27 secured to and projecting from one of the legs of the tub, and hold said lever and sleeve stationary at the inner throw of their movement, or stationary at the limit of the outer movement thereof.

When sleeve X is moved to the limit of its inward movement, its inner recessed annular edge 17, which constitutes the female member of a clutch 18, is engaged by the projections 16 on the opposing annular edge of the hub of a gear 15, which is fast on shaft 3. This gear engages and imparts its motion to the small idle-gear 1 1, which interlocks with a larger idle-gear 11 through the medium of a tenon and groove 1.3, engagement of the contacting ends of their hubs, and the larger idle-gear 11, engages and actuates the pinion 10, loosely mounted on shaft 3. Pinion 10 has its hub interlocked with the adjacent end of the hub of a fly-wheel 6, and imparts the speeded up movement of gear 15 thereto, and the momentum of this fly-wheel regulates and greatly assists the work of moving the lever back and forth during the operation of the machine.

The hubs of the fly-wheel and of pinion 10 and gear 15 are extended so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the two former between gear 15 and bearings 5 of shaft 3. Idlers 14 and 11, are, preferably, loosely mounted on a stationary shaft 12, and their hubs are likewise extended so as to fill up the space and prevent longitudinal movement thereof between the bosses of the lower half of the casing K within which the ends of shaft 12 are secured and which incloses gears 15, 14, 11 and 10 and is attached to and supported by the frame (I.

Shaft 3 extends beyond its bearings 5 and has suitable driving and reversing gear .iechanism for imparting motion to and for cutting out a wringer mounted on the tub. This gear mechanism, preferably, comprises two idle bevel-gears 30 and 31, that face each other and are loosely mounted on shaft 3 and are normally disengaged therefrom and independently thereof. The teeth of these gears are comparatively small and are spaced as far apart as possible so as to avoid binding of the same during the shifting operation hereinafter described. Rigidly secured to and mounted on drive-shaft 3 between these bevel-gears is the counter-part 32, of a clutch, which is, preferably, cylindrical and is provided with recesses or depressions 33, 33, in its ends that are adapted to be engaged by suitable projections 34 that are made integral with and extend from the adjacent ends of the hubs of bevel-gears 30 and 31. Meshing with both bevel-gears 30 and 31 is another bevel-gear 35 that is secured to the lower end of a substantially vertically disposed shaft 36, which latter extends upward to the wringer. The lower 9 end of shaft 36 is journaled in the tubular shank 37 of a spider that has corresponding arms 00, m, projecting in diametrically opposite diregtions therefrom, whose extremities are turned toward and pivoted to lugs 37 projecting from the spherical casing that in closes the nest of bevel-gears 30, 31 and 35. This casing, preferably, comprises an upper and a lower hemi-spherical shell 39 and 10, respectively, the latter of which (40) has horizontally alining bearings 11 on its opposite sides through which said driveshaft 3 passes. Said casing is free to be moved or reciprocated longitudinally on the latter without revolving therewith in order to adapt it to be used to move gears 30 and 31 into and out of engagement with the clutch 32. The fact that the outer ends of the hubs of gears 30 and 31 engage said casing and pinion 35 prevents said gears moving toward each other, causes one or the other of said gears to engage clutch 3, when the casing is moved one way or the other in the direction of length of shaft 3, and to take the motion of said shaft, and, as the latter is revolved continuously in one direction during the operating of the ,machine, one or the other of said gears will drive pinion 35 in one direction and the other gear will drive it in the opposite direction, and the shaft 36 will be thereby rotated and driven either forward or reversed as the case may be, and when neither gear 30 or 31 is engaged by clutch 32 the shaft remains stationary.

nos am In order to bodily move the casing, as just pointed out, I fulcrum the lower end of a rocking-lever 42 (of the first class) to a bracket 43 secured to and projecting outwardly from the adjacent member of frame d, and make the upper end 44 of this lever spherical or ball-shaped and seat it in a cor-- respondingly shaped depression or socket 45 on the under side of the lower shell 40 of the casing. This lever 42 is pivotally connected to and is rocked by means of an elongated treadle 46 that extends in a horizontal direction under the tub, and has a foot-plate 46 on its outer end. Near said foot-plate the treadle is pivotally connected to the outer lower end of substantially crescent shaped bell-crank lever 47 This bell-crank is pivoted adjacent its upper end to a suitable hanger 47 projecting from frame (Z and has an upwardly pro-lateral extension or arm 48 to the outer end of which an operating rod 49 is secured in any suitable manner. preferably, by a swivel connection. Rod 49 eX- tends upwardly alongside of the tub and terminates at a point slightly below the horizontal plane of the top thereof where it passes up through the bottom of a pocket 50, attached to the side of the tub, and is then bent laterally at substantially right-angles to itself and provided with a handle. This lateral portion extends out through a suit able slot 51 in the shell of said pocket, so that, by raising said handle and then turn ing it, it will catch on the shoulders of said slot, according as desired. When the foottreadle is raised or depressed, as the case may be, the gear-casing 40-41 will move so that one or the other of gears 30 or 31 will engage clutch The upper end of hellcrank 47 pivoted to hanger 47 extends beyond its pivot and a coiled contractionspring 53 connects the same to the foottreadle.

The upper portion of shaft 36 extends through suitable hearings in a spherical casing 54 and its end inside said casing is provided with a beveled pinion that is in mesh with and drives a beveled pinion 56 secured to the adjacent end of the axle or shaft of the driving roller 57 of a wringer 58 of conventional construction.

In order to accommodate the bearings of the transmission-rod to the slight reciprocation of the gear-casing 40-41, I prefer to connect the upper bearing-sleeve 59 to the casing 54 surrounding the wringer driving gears by means of a universal or swivel joint (30 similar to that illustrated at the lower end of said rod, which it is unnecessary to again describe.

In mounting the motor 8, I prefer to connect two of the supporting legs D of the tub by a cross-bar Y and swing the motor therefrom by means of brackets y that have eyes in their upper ends through which said bar passes.

Any slack in the belt 7 may be taken up by tapping a hand-screw y through the down-turned flange of the adjacent portion of the frame d.

After the laundry has been placed in the tub and the cover closed, the motor is started and the mechanism is in the position shown in detail in Fig. 4 of the drawings: that is the clutch 16l7 is disengaged and bars 34 on the bevel-gears 3()3l are out of engagement with the clutch member 32. The motor now drives balance wheel 6 and through the train of gearing the main or drive-shaft 3 is actuated at a slower speed than the balancewheel. In order to operate the agitator shaft (1, lever 24 is moved inwardly far enough to connect the members of clutch 1617 thus causing the crank 2 to actuate pitman 1 and rock the operating lever G in the well-known manner. lVhen, however, the wringer is to be used, clutch 1617 is thrown out of engagement (which stops the agitator) and the foot-treadle 46*, or rod 49, is moved so as to shift the casing 39-40 longitudinally on shaft 3. This shifting of the casing will bring the one or the other bosses of gears 30 or 31 into engagement with its respective depression in the clutch counter-part 32 which causes the transmission shaft to revolve and drive the wringer through the gears at its upper end.

What I claim as new is:

1. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocable shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft. a train of s zed-reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive'shaft, a crank, means connecting said crank to said last-mentioned gear, and devices operatively connecting said crank to said first-mentioned shaft.

2. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocable shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft. a train of speed reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive-shaft, a crank loosely carried by said drive-shaft, means connecting said crank to said lastmentioned gear, and devices operative] y connecting said crank to said first-mentioned shaft.

3. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocable shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft, a train of speed reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive-shaft,

a crank, a clutch mechanism connecting said crank to said last-mentioned gear, and devices operatively connecting said crank to said first-mentioned shaft.

4:. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocable shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft, a train of speed reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive-shaft, a crank, means connecting said crank to said last-mentioned gear, a pitinan one end of which is secured to said crank, and devices operatively connecting the opposite end of said pitman to said first-mentioned shaft.

5. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocahle shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft, a train of speed reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive-shaft, a crank loosely carried by said drive-shaft, means connecting said crank to said lastmentioned gear, a pitman one end of which is secured to said crank, and devices operatively connecting the opposite end of said pitman to said tirst-mentioned shaft.

6. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocable shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft, a train of speed reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive-shaft, a crank, a clutch mechanism connecting said crank to said last-mentioned gear, a pitman one end of Which is secured to said crank, and devices operatively connecting the opposite end of said pitman to said first-men tioned shaft.

7. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocable shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said driveshaft, a train of speed reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive-shaft, a crank, a clutch mechanism connectin said crank to said last-mentioned gear, a pitman one end of which is secured to said crank, a lever one end of Which is connected to the unsupported end of said pitman, and devices operatively connecting the opposite end of said lever to said first-mentioned shaft.

8. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocalole shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive shaft, a train of speed-reducing gears one of which is connected to said pulley and another of which is fast on said drive-shaft, a crank, a clutch one member of Which is *arried by said crank for operatively connecting said crank to said last-mentioned gear, and devices operatively connecting said crank to said first-mentioned shaft.

9. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocahle shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven drive-shaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft, a pinion loose on said driveshaft and actuated by said pulley, a gear fast on said drive-shaft adjacent said pinion, transnlission gears meshing with the aforesaid pinion and gear, a crank, means connectin" said crank to said last-mentioned gear, and devices operativcly connecting said crank to said first-mentioned shaft.

10. A mechanical movement comprising a rotary reciprocable shaft and means for driving the same consisting of a motordriven driveshaft, a pulley loose on said drive-shaft, a pinion loose on said driveshaft and actuated by said pulley, a gear fast on said drive-shaft adjacent said pinion, transmission gears meshing with the aforesaid pinion and gear, a crank loosely carried by said drive-shaft, a clutch mecha nism connecting said crank to said last-mentioned gear, and devices operatively con necting said crank to said first-mentioned shaft.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of January, 1913.

\VILLIAM H. VOSS.

lVitnesses \VILLIAM l. PULs, FRITZ P. Voss.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

